What does the term 'discovery' refer to in civil procedure?

In civil procedure, 'discovery' specifically refers to the pre-trial process in which parties disclose relevant documents and information to each other. This process is essential for ensuring transparency, allowing parties to prepare their cases adequately, and narrowing the issues that need to be resolved at trial. By sharing evidence and documents that could be pertinent to the case, discovery helps promote a more efficient legal process, allowing both sides to understand the facts more thoroughly and preventing surprises at trial.

Gathering witnesses for trial, presenting evidence, and jury selection, while important components of the litigation process, do not fall under the definition of discovery. Thus, the accurate definition of the term in the context of civil procedure is the pre-trial exchange of relevant information between the parties.